@#§§*«^,,,                                          ,,,^«*§§#@
#§§*«^,,,,                                          ,,,,^«*§§#
§§*«^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^«*§§
§*«^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^«*§
*«^,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,^«*
«^,,,,,,,,             ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,             ,,,,,,,,^«
^,,,,,,,,,             the alvar fields             ,,,,,,,,,^
,,,,,,,,,,             §§§#@#@#@#@#@§§§             ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, from   north  to   south,   thirty   odd ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, kilometers.  from  west  to  east,  four ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, thousand  meters. from topsoil to stone, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, a foot or  two. no roots can  fester, no ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,             dust can linger.             ,,,,,,,,,,
^,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,^
«^,,,,,,,, here  is  earth,  clay, and  sturdy  low ,,,,,,,,^«
*«^,,,,,,, plants.  bushes  frame  the  strip.  the ,,,,,,,^«*
§*«^,,,,,, earth  is  bare in patches  as  large as ,,,,,,^«*§
§§*«^,,,,,               you and me.                ,,,,,^«*§§
#§§*«^,,,,                                          ,,,,^«*§§#
@#§§*«^,,, cross it to  get  to the ocean, or don't ,,,^«*§§#@
#@#§§*«^,,          to stay where you are.          ,,^«*§§#@#
##@#§§*«^,                                          ,^«*§§#@##
#@#§§*«^,,                                          ,,^«*§§#@#
@#§§*«^,,,                                          ,,,^«*§§#@
#§§*«^,,,,                                          ,,,,^«*§§#
§§*«^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^«*§§
§*«^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^«*§